Paederine Rove Beetles
 Home
Pictorial Key
Family: Staphylinidae
Subfamily: Paederinae
Genus: Sunius
Size: 4.5mm-6mm
Beadlike Antennae
Rove beetles are elongate and parallel sided. Pictured at right are the very short elytra exposing 3-6 dorsal abdominal segments. Antennae are variable, from threadlike to clubbed, and abdomens are flexible and sometimes held upright. The tarsi are 5-5-5 and Staphylinidae are usually black and range from 0.7-25 mm in length.
Of the 3,100 species and 313 genera of Staphylinidae, 430 species belong to the Paederinae subfamily. These beetles have a head that narrows into a distinct neck. The Sunius genus, of which the pictured species is a member, has 28 species, mostly 3-5mm. Sunius are common beneath objects such as stones or leaf litter and they scurry rapidly when distrubed.